Banks (27) has signed for Italian club Treviso and is set to leave the country on August 7 although he is hoping it may be delayed should the Highlanders make the Super Rugby final.
The first five-eighth signed for Treviso last year but backed out of the deal for personal reasons.
Then Hayden Parker injured his knee and Tony Brown rang Banks to see if he was interested in coming back to the Highlanders.
He jumped at the chance and, with Lima Sopoaga straining his hamstring and forcing him off the field for the bulk of the season, Banks has ended up playing in 13 Super Rugby games and starting in nine.
He is goal-kicking at 88%, the highest of the the competition, and he has missed just seven kicks at goal all year.
He came off the bench to kick the winning goal against the British and Irish Lions last month. Banks said the game tonight could be the last time he played as a Highlander at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
"It was goodbye last year, and then hello again this year. We’ll just have to see what happens. But no. I’m definitely off at the end of this season," he said.
"It will be awesome to get one more game out here at Forsyth Barr Stadium in front of an awesome crowd too, especially after the great game against the Lions. I hope the crowd come down and gets in behind us."
Banks said the win over the Lions was great but the side had moved on from there.
"The boy obviously had a few Speight’s after the game. But it was a pretty special occasion and just awesome to play it here in front of a packed ground. Some of the younger guys would not have played in front of such a big crowd."
Banks a broke rib in the Lions game but has been cleared.He will join former Highlanders Nasi Manu and Jayden Hayward at Treviso and is looking forward to heading to Italy.
"No, there are no second thoughts. I have booked my ticket for August 7 but, hopefully, we’ll be there in the final and so I won’t get to leave until August 14."
Banks will come off the bench tonight with Lima Sopoaga starting the game. Sopoaga has not started a Super Rugby game since March although he did start against the Lions.
The Highlanders must finish seventh or eighth. Those above will decide whether they head to Christchurch or Johannesburg next weekend for the quarterfinal.
The Reds, who have nothing but pride to play for tonight, flew into Queenstown on Wednesday and then bussed to Dunedin the same night. The side cannot qualify for the playoffs.
● The Highlanders announced yesterday experienced lock Alex Ainley has signed on for another year with the franchise.